The Welsh and the English gather to celebrate!

Being born and raised in Wales, I was used to hearing playful digs about "the English". The Welsh and Scottish have this in common; being raised with a humorous dislike of the English. The history behind this runs deep. However, this past weekend my husband and I, along with my mum, were surprisingly part of a gathering of the Welsh and the English, and only a few playful exchanges about this rivalry occurred.

My husband and I always visit Wales at this time of year to see my mother and celebrate her birthday. On June 2nd she will be 93 years young. So, we also planned our usual visit to my mother's only brother for a family meal. What we didn't know was that our relatives had planned a reunion. As we pulled up to the house, we griped that there were no parking spaces near my uncle's home. Little did we realize those car owners were there to see us!

The birthday girl with her cards and presents

Some of the many beaches of Barry, Wales

Most of our hometown days have been focused on spending time with my mother, who overall is doing well. However, this afternoon Greg and I went for a walk from our friend's home where we're staying. My previous post showed the infamous wide sandy Barry Island beaches. Today, however, walking just a short distance took us to a large pebbley beach.

A stroll at Barry Island beach

After taking a day to cope with jet lag, we were out and about yesterday. My hometown is Barry, Wales, which is a tourist destination, mainly due to its beaches. It's also famous for being the filming location of a hugely successful TV series, Gavin and Stacey. So, off to the beach we go!

Whitmore Bay, Barry Island (2007)

Dublin Airport

Greg and I are on a layover at Dublin airport, Ireland, waiting to continue our journey to Wales. We couldn't resist a quick post to share this gem ...

"RESERVED Reduced Mobility"

So, is it reserved for those with reduced mobility, or reserved for those who prefer reduced mobility? A puzzle, but certainly not very accessible, that's for sure!

We're looking forward to visiting my family, especially my mum, over the next two weeks. We'll also try to post some photos of Wales, for those who have never visited there.

There's no place quite like home :)

I'm happy to say that my mother was released from the hospital yesterday and is happily settled back in her own home. It was a good feeling to be able to chat with her today. We'll catch up on all the details when we visit her next week.

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A memorable Mother's Day

As most followers of this blog know, I started this to improve upon last year's emails where I couldn't remember who I'd told what, and likely repeated myself to many people too polite to tell me. Since I started this blog five months ago, it's morphed into far more than just the practical aspect for me. I've learned to share more of my personal thoughts and past experiences with others, some of whom are strangers to me. Given that I consider myself a private person, that has been quite a healthy stretch for me to make.

So, today I'll share my Canadian Mother's Day story with you. I say Canadian as my mother lives in Wales, where they celebrate "Mothering Sunday" earlier in the year. 

While on a bus tour of Snowdonia, North Wales
for my mum's 90th birthday

Good friendships last much longer than good chocolate

One of the simple pleasures of returning home is catching up with long-time friends. I mean the type of friends you know you can rely on for anything, even if what you're asking for might be inconvenient; they'll do their best to help you anyway. We are fortunate to have a number of such friends.

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We're sleeping in our own bed tonight!

Greg and I arrived back in Canada today, April 17th. I have to admit, although it's been a wonderful adventure, it is nice to be home.

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Greg, are you old enough to drink beer in Tennessee?

So, today we continued our journey home from this four-month adventure. We added three more states to our list, and finally crossed back into our home time zone. We left the Florida coast (far west side of Florida), travelled up through Alabama, then cut across the north-west corner of Georgia (blink and we would have missed Georgia), and have now settled overnight in Chattanooga, Tennessee (south east corner of the state). I'm still not quite used to seeing forested land, after months of desert and sand.

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The wildlife of Okaloosa Island

Yesterday we ignored the overcast weather and went for a drive and a walk at one of the shorelines that faces into the bay from Okaloosa Island. The water is quieter there, and also has more wildlife.

Time to go home - we've run out of toothpaste!

Somewhere along this journey, Greg and I talked about how we'd decide when it would be time to head home. I said our gauge would be when we'd run out of toothpaste. My answer baffled Greg. My theory was that we left home each having a new tube of toothpaste, plus we had one travel-sized one. When they ran out, we'd go home. I was just being silly.

Sun, sand, swim, eat, sleep & repeat!

I didn't post for three days, which is the longest gap I've had on this adventure, other than when we were on the cruise. So, why the gap? Well, we slipped into a comfortable routine that didn't warrant a blog. 

Always lots of families having fun at this beach